JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 10:11.

Jesus
made the claim,  “I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the
shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he
abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters
it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the
sheep.”

One of
the functions of a shepherd is to protect their sheep from predatory animals.
In the spiritual realm, that predatory animal is the devil, who prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. But Jesus cares personally
for His followers and is able to protect us from the attempts of the devil to
deceive and destroy us. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was necessary for
us to find protection in His grace.

The words of Jesus inspire us to trust Him as our Good Shepherd in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on First John 4:16.

“And
so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in
love lives in God and God in them.”

The
reason why we have the capacity to love God and other people is because God
loved us first. If we want to know what the true nature of love is, we can look
to Jesus who demonstrated God’s love for us in this way: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. The worthy Savior gave His life for unworthy sinners.
He loved us in our worst moments, not just our best.

His
example can help us to love our children in the midst of their temper tantrums,
to offer hospitality to someone who cannot return the favor, and to overcome
hatred with love.

Through Jesus, we are set free to love people as God loves us.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Good morning!  

We’re singing love songs from grateful hearts this morning.  The playlist is below!

Have a wonderful Sunday. Stay warm!

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on First John 2, verses 1 and 2.

“My
dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody
does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for
the sins of the whole world.”

Jesus
took our sins upon Himself when He went to the cross. That makes a big
difference in the courtyard of God.  The
devil is our accuser. He is quick to pounce on our lawless deeds and pick apart
our flaws and failures before God. But those who trust in Jesus for forgiveness
have a strong defender. He is able to state the case for our innocence on His
merit, not ours. When we trust in Jesus to save us, we become aligned to Him,
and His righteousness is applied to our account before God.

Through Jesus, we are set free from the accusations of the enemy. 

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on Psalm 107, verses 1 and 2.

“Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed
of the LORD tell their story-those he redeemed from the hand of the foe.”

Those who
are redeemed of the LORD have a story to tell of God’s power to free us from
the chains of darkness and bring us into His wonderful light. 

God
continues to work through testimonies today that tell of His amazing grace to
set the captives free.

Through Jesus, we are set free to share our story of God’s transforming love.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in John 12:49 and 50.

Jesus
said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father, who sent me
commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to
eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

When
using words, Jesus was following His Heavenly Father’s directions. In this way,
He sent a message to the world from the Father’s heart, and it was a message
that offered eternal life to all who would embrace His message.

There
is a Biblical standard for how we use our words. Ephesians 4:15 instructs us to
“speak the truth in love.” If we have that commitment to the Biblical standard,
we will learn to reflect the heart of God with the words that we say.

The words of Jesus inspire us to trust the words of Jesus and to build our lives on them in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Happy February to you! 

This morning’s theme is Heart Songs.  Listen for the theme to pop up in the lyrics of the songs — and there are heartbeats in the instrumentation on some songs!  (Listen for those drums!) Our lineup includes brand new songs from Hillsong United, David Leonard (of All Sons & Daughters) and LocalSound, plus Classics from Martin Smith, Matt Redman and Rita Springer.

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com

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JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Redemption, today’s Freedom Phrase is based on John 15:13 and 14.

Jesus
told His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this; to lay down one’s life
for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer
call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my
Father I have made known to you.”

Jesus
demonstrates His genuine friendship with His people in several ways. He died
for us. He paid the ultimate sacrifice to bring us forgiveness and new life in
Him.

He also
confides in His followers what the Kingdom of God is like.   His
teachings help us to better understand what matters to God. As we do life with
Him, He speaks to us in His Word, and hears our prayers with His caring heart.

Through Jesus, we are set free to enjoy His genuine friendship and to experience His unfailing love.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Wisdom from the Red Letters is found in Mark 1:38.

Jesus
was praying in a solitary place early in the morning. Simon and his companions
were looking for Jesus. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking
for you.”

Jesus
replied, “Let us go somewhere else-to the nearby villages-so I can preach there
also. That is why I have come.”

Sometimes,
people have a plan for our schedule, which might not match God’s plan for our
schedule. Jesus was in that situation. Simon and his companions had one idea
for Jesus that day, but His Heavenly Father had other plans. Jesus was in tune
with the Father’s plan, because He had spent time with Him and heard from Him
that morning. The prayer time of Jesus highlights a significant way to gain
clarity of God’s purposes for us. Spend time with Him in prayer.

The words of Jesus inspire us to start each day having a conversation with God in the Year of Redemption.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Here is tomorrow morning’s lineup! Get ready for brand new recordings of songs led by Phil Wickham in a living room, more tracks from Bethel’s “Victory” album (fully out now!) and an introduction to new(ish) artists like Lucy Grimble, Casey J, Luke + Anna Hellebronth and more.

Kristi Leigh – WJTL DJ

Kristi@WJTL.com